As Round 2 boiled to an approaching climax, three Heavenly Kings stood in unity, each drawing strength from the other, both in moral and emotional support, as well as a symbiotic energy shared between them: the Gaia stream. The power of the planet itself, channeled through the sleeping veins of Orochi, filtered into their luminous spirits. As negative energy continued to fester in Munich, Germany, that darkness was channeled into the power necessary to fulfill the Hakkeshu's destiny: to give them the strength to beckon Goenitz's soul to the planet. To resurrect the God himself. To obtain flesh and blood again, yet be granted endless life. To plunge the world into blessed oblivion.
All they had to do was win. Win, and the overwhelming influx of negative energy would give them the power to complete any ritual they saw fit... as well as overload the seal, finally breaking it once more.
"How you feeling, baby boy~?" Shermie ruffled their hair of their "little brother", Chris, the eager boy next to step into the ring and bring them closer to completion.
Chris laughed as he playfully swatted Shermie's hand away. "I'm fine, Shermie. I'm ready. I'm strong."
Yashiro curled an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. "You're gonna do fine. That old fud won't be able to keep up with you. You're way too fast... way too powerful. You'll be two steps ahead of him. No... FOUR."
"I'm eager to get out there and unleash a bit." Chris smiled wide, his eyes closed with an angelic expression. "Since we started tempering the world here in Munich... I've felt so much stronger. It's like... it's like Orochi's flooding my body. I can feel the God commanding me, like a puppet, making me do His will. I... I feel unstoppable."
"You're the chosen one, Chris." Yashiro's hand tenderly rubbed his shoulder, where it rested. "There's a reason he picked your body the first time... you've got the youth and the spirit to deliver Orochi unto this world, and be the vessel of the Almighty. Nobody else can do it. Not me, or Shermie... and I truly believe it's going to be you winning this tournament."
Shermie knelt down, pulling him against her as well, pressing her cheek on his head. "You're our special guy, Chris. Go out there and school these fools... I'll be right there alongside you in the Finals~"
A warm smile. Sandwiched between their embrace, Chris extended both his arms and wrapped around the two of them, truly turning this into a group hug.
"I love you guys." Chris softly uttered. "I've always... thought of you as my family. My big bro and sis. When I hold dominion over this planet again.. I... I want to make it a place for us. A place that only we can enjoy. A place where we can be happy. Forever."
As they stood dormant, capturing that warmth between the three of them for as long as possible... their eyes couldn't help but linger in the distance: the sneering faces of their reluctant colleagues fell upon them. A sarcastic wave from the two "Twins", while the black-clad psychopath curled his nose up at them.
"Losers." Yashiro snarled.
"We don't need em." Shermie said with a sly smile. "The world you speak of, Chris... it doesn't involve them, does it?"
"Of course not." Chris shook his head. "They'll just as soon fade to nothingness."
At last, the hug broke; Shermie bid her leave, retreating to the locker rooms, to prepare for her own fight. Now standing by themselves, Yashiro turned to Chris one last time; he knelt down, both hands squeezing firmly on the boy's shoulders.
"Fight. Win."
Chris's eyes shown with a fire that burned only as his could. "I won't fail us. I swear."
The locker room wafted with the sweet scent of incense, a thin haze littering the cramped compound, not offensive to the senses, but inviting... peaceful, to both body and mind.
Saisyu Kusanagi sat at the center of this, his weight on his knees, as he closed his eyes and kept his upper body erect. A singular hand rested at the bridge of his nose, fingers upright, hand rigid against his face.
Eyes remaining closed, he uttered this prayer:
"My darling Shizuka... and Kyo... please give me the strength to uphold our great name. And if I'm not strong enough... at the very least, give me the courage to die well."
This solemn, sacred moment was suddenly interrupted by a rude, brash tone.
"Well well well, what the F*** is this?!"
A loud BANG!... the slamming of a fist against the metal of a locker.
Saisyu's eyes shot open. A furious scowl twisted his lips. He rose slowly to his feet... his eyes immediately locked with the source of the disturbance: a grinning Mr. Big, standing cockily, with his Eskrima stick tapping rhythmically against his shoulder. The other one was slightly brandished towards Saisyu.
"Big..." he growled.
Mr. Big merely chuckled, and pointed the stick outwards, beyond Saisyu. The elder Kusanagi turned: Yamazaki was flanking his rear. Hakkeshu scum...
5 o clock... 8 o clock... Raiden and Hwa Jai, Geese's failed lackeys.
3 o clock... 9 o clock... those Korean ex-cons. The same ones he'd already interacted with on the first day... particularly the big one, Chang Koehan. The reason he was even in this tournament.
Completely, utterly surrounded. Close, tight quarters. No retreat. Afraid? Never.
"What is this?" Saisyu demanded, showing no fear in walking right up to Big and getting in his face.
"Retribution, pops." Big sneered. "You jumped one of my boys a couple nights ago."
Saisyu cut his eyes to the man in question: Chang smiled as he brandished his iron ball.
With an eyeroll, Saisyu faced forward. "Hardly your man."
"He's my man NOW. Anyone who joins Big's Crew is family. And that means I look out for em. When he told me what you did to him the night before the tourney, well... I couldn't just look weak and let that fly, now can I?"
Saisyu wasn't looking, but he didn't need to: the air shift, the suppression of the sweet incense, indicated that all the bodies had stepped forward, closing in on him from all sides.
He kept his eyes forward, only on the shit-eating grin of the bald mastermind. He was so proud of himself, so high on his own fumes... the man invited disdain with each shimmer of his treacherous teeth.
"So what's it gonna be, sparky? Wanna try and take us? Or maybe... maybe I'll grant you a five minute recess to think of your 'beg for mercy' speech."
Saisyu was done with this shit. FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
As bold as they were a second ago, they were now the complete opposite: all present bodies in the room took a collective retreating step backwards, as Saisyu greeted them with amber eyes, a scorching aura radiating heat waves from his body, literally distorting the air around them, his hands aglow with a ball of flame in each palm, nearly reaching two feet in magnificence.
"I don't have time for this crap, you pompous, self-centered, glory-whoring bastard!" Saisyu spat metaphorical fire from his tongue. "I'm fighting for the fate of the world! That's more than that soft-boiled egg brain that matches your head can comprehend! Now BACK OFF!"
The room was less a hot box than an OVEN: the very lockers were close to warping from the intense heat emitting from his body.
Choi yelped, leaping behind Chang. Hwa Jai hit the deck. Raiden turtled up with two hands atop his head. Yamazaki was the only one content to just stand there... he reached up his free hand to casually wipe his forehead.
Big himself was taken aback, stumbling backwards until his back hit a locker; of course, the superheated metal ended up scorching him, and with a pathetic grunt, he stumbled forward into a brick wall.
Feeling his message adequately delivered, Saisyu walked out of the locker room... not even bothering to cut his eyes towards any of them. No attempt to watch his back. He knew they wouldn't dare make a move.
"Well, that went well." Yamazaki dropped predictable sarcasm, as he helped the disheveled Big back to his feet.
The bald man scowled as he ran his hands all over himself, smoothing his wrinkles, dusting his pants, straightening his coat... finally, he adjusted his sunglasses and spoke:
"Hmph. No worry; we'll just wait until that demon kid has mopped the floor with him. THEN we'll make our move."
ROUND 2 FIGHT #9: SAISYU KUSANAGI VS CHRIS
The ravenous roar of the audience painted a picture of the stakes of this battle: a moderate betting favorite to win the actual tournament, Saisyu, taking on a mysterious opponent that nobody really knew... save for the fact he demolished his first opponent in a minute, without taking a hit.
Arguably the strongest of the Hakkeshu, save for their leader Goenitz... the world was probably better off not knowing this kid was the vessel for the God of Destruction, Orochi himself.
Saisyu allowed himself a thrill at the revelation of being on this grand stage, fighting for the realest cause. He knew he was getting old; fighters started to fall off at 40, and he was in his 50's. He was certainly not as good a fighter as his son had grown to be. But to be here... to fight on behalf of his life and his family... no, HUMANITY itself... the flames of passion never burned brighter.
"Saisyu-sama."
Saisyu stopped before making his way to the ring: Chizuru was there, greeting him with a respectful bow, her hands interlaced below her stomach.
Saisyu nodded in acknowledgement, and grinned. "Oh, you don't have to call me that. We've talked about this, Miss Kagura."
Chizuru blushed slightly, returning to posture. "Y-yes... of course." Her hand went up to unconsciously smooth her hair.
Never one to not push his luck, Saisyu poured on his classic charm. "Well milady, I'm going off to war, and I might not make it home. Don't cheat on me while I'm away, yeah?"
Chizuru stared at him, solemnly; somehow, his humor wasn't really registering. "S-Saisyu..."
It wasn't until her next action that he figured out why.
Before he could consent or protest, Chizuru closed distance on them, her smooth hands finding each cheek, as she pulled his lips against hers and held him there, for five uninterrupted seconds... before they at last pulled apart. Chizuru quickly created a couple feet of distance, as well as the recipient himself.
He stared at her, bewildered, his trembling fingers unconsciously grazing the impact point. He uttered a mindless "Ch-Chizuru... you..."
"There." she bowed. "You didn't kiss me. I kissed you. Now you don't have to return to your wife in shame."
"B-but... but why..." he stammered. "I mean... I find you attractive, of course, but I didn't meant to lead you on. P-Perhaps my jokes were too far-"
"None of that matters." Chizuru shook her head. "I did what I did. ME. I did it... to bring you good fortune. And to let you know that I want you to come back to Kyo, your wife, and... me. Just be careful out there, Saisyu; don't be afraid to concede if things get rough. He won't be able to do anything else to you after that."
"Do anything to ME?"
Saisyu's lips curved wide, showing those pearls, and he tilted his head back with a hearty laugh. "Chiz, my dear... I believe you have the pages backwards. Thanks for the kiss. Until we meet again!"
With one last bow to send him off, Chizuru watched the elder Kusanagi march away to his destiny... she closed her eyes in silent prayer for his health, as well as to contemplate what she just did. But despite how wrong it was in the sacred laws of matrimony... she didn't regret it.
"Fight well, Saisyu."
The stakes in this combat zone, this mere circle of dirt, surrounded by grass... had never been more real. Fate, on a WORLD scale, was to be decided here. A battle as old as time itself, transcending nearly 2,000 years. Good vs Evil. Life vs Death. The original combatants of an ancient war... here again, on this modern day stage.
Saisyu had no amount of sympathy for the boy as he looked on him with fierce eyes, his muscles tensing, as he prepared himself for the ultimate combat. Chris was no different; he made no effort to hide behind an innocent facade, as the deranged boy peered upon Saisyu with devilish eyes, already donning his fighting stance.
"Ready to become part of history, pops?" Chris taunted right off. "What makes you think you stand a chance against the Hakkeshu? Even your son can't finish the job, so no way an outdated bag of bones like you has what it takes."
Saisyu slowly eased into his fighting stance...
Chris smiled wide, peering into his own palms. "I can feel it... coursing in me... ultimate power! His heartbeat pumps directly into me, feeding me with his lifeblood, the power of the planet itself! Now... prepare yourself to be obliterated, old man!"
Saisyu remained unfazed by his threats and bravado. Now fully in fighting stance, he uttered but one noble declaration:
"On my honor as Kusanagi... you will fall here."
FIGHT!
Not a sound in the Stadium, as these two began to slowly encroach. Anyone who knew the history behind the Three Clans and Orochi knew the stakes involved here... and that's why anybody who was anybody was on the edge of their tailbones, eyes focused forward.
Saisyu led the assault; he stepped forward with a thrashing left hand, but Chris caught the wrist. Saisyu was wise to roll their interlocked hands to the side and yank his hand free, and he came forth with a straight right behind it. Chris's wrist parried the strike, leaving their hands in a deadlock again... Saisyu smacked Chris's hand away to retrieve his own.
The exchange didn't stop; Chris launched a kick, which Saisyu bounced off his forearm, and Saisyu stepped forward with a palm.
A sidestep: Chris was completely to his right now; Saisyu tried to spin around with a backfist to tag him, but the shorter opponent rolled underneath his strike, ending up behind him. Saisyu kept pursuing; a downwards chop, to whack the elusive mole. Chris backflipped several times, retreating to a safe distance. The kid was incredibly hard to hit!
Still without a moment's breath between them, Saisyu unleashed his last ditch effort; his palm spat embers as he swung his hand in a downwards arc, sending a small, combustible ball of flame sailing across the ground, towards Chris's feet, to blow the kid sky high...
...The next thing Saisyu saw was an after-image, followed by a jarring impact in his chest. Chris had phase-shifted forward... and delivered the first hit of the fight.
Saisyu's back foot went slightly ajar, like he wanted to stumble... but he quickly composed himself.
Chris went airborne; he appeared to be coming around with a massive head kick, but he faked Saisyu out and went into a low instead! Saisyu quickly sensed it, and took a step back, avoiding the hit. Chris, taking advantage of his low position, did a handstand and flailed his feet upwards, to try and nail Saisyu in the face. The old man's guard was too tight: he only hit his arms, and Chris smoothly somersaulted back to his feet.
Saisyu lost no confidence; he came forward aggressive, swinging with crisp, straight hands. A left, a right... Chris dodged them, but the crafty old man transitioned into a backhanded stance... and he popped Chris in the nose with the exact same right.
The hit jarred Chris... and Saisyu showed no mercy in following the combo: a mid chop to the chest, his much larger, more powerful hand folding the boy in half... and he raised his left hand and came down on Chris's neck with an executing chop. Chris hit the ground, flat.
Saisyu wasn't done; seizing the momentum, he SNATCHED the downed boy, jerking him back up to his feet. He unleashed an uppercut, so sharp, so calculated... even from their close proximity, his arm achieved maximum propulsion and went 90 degrees, to knock his chin directly north.
And finally... the coup de grace. "HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Sais spun around to gain power... embers spouted from him like a swarm of flies as he unleashed a back palm into Chris's stomach, the most critical hit of the fight yet. As Chris yelped in pain, flying backwards to hit the ground, the embers floated upwards to the sky... a testament of the flaming chi Saisyu infused into his hit.
"Look at Papa Kusanagi go!" Benimaru fist pumped.
"Guess the old man's still got some pop in his punches." Shen Woo mentioned.
"KEEP HITTING HIM, SAISYU!" Chizuru cheered, obviously his strongest supporter.
Chris leaped up, grimacing; he wasn't happy getting dropped so soon. He rushed Saisyu at multiple angles, carthweeling left, right... leaving after-images with every change in direction. He finally closed in on Saisyu from the right and started firing kicks. A left roundhouse, a right.. Saisyu parried both kicks, and attempted a counter chop. Chris ducked it easily and spun into a sweep kick, clipping Saisyu's lead leg off-balance.
"D-damn!" Saisyu stumbled... and Chris flew upwards and blasted his chin with a jumping knee. Saisyu's lights flickered, as he recoiled...Chris spun around again, and went mid, a back elbow to his gut. As Saisyu hunched over in pain, a back elbow to his face kept the punishment going. Just like that, the script of the fight was flipped.
"TAKE HIM DOWN!" Chizuru urged. "STOP HIS MOMENTUM!"
"KEEP ON HIM, CHRIS!" Yashiro boomed. "MAKE HIM HURT!"
Saisyu shook the buzz away; heeding Chizuru's advice, he timed Chris's arrival, and caught the left hand the boy threw. Showing his superior size and strenght, he easily hip tossed the kid to the ground; a flaming punch to the stomach hit the pause button on Chris completely.
"Nnngh...!" Chris's face twisted with agony, having felt, for the second time, the pure Kusanagi flame.
"HIT HIM AGAIN!" Chizuru urged.
"UP UP UP!" Yashiro matched. "GET UUUP!"
Deciding not to get stuck here, Chris did just that; as Saisyu tried to rain down on him with more ground n pound, Chris kicked his hand away, spun around into a mid kick, vaulted himself into mid air... and spun around into an uncanny THIRD kick, nailing Saisyu in the face, all before the kid's feet even touched the ground again. He was the apex of agility.
Chris felt the momentum shift to him again; he phase-shifted forward in a blur, hitting him once, twice... with Saisyu compromised, he grabbed the back of the man's head and slammed leaping knees into his face. One knee, two knees... Saisyu broke free and wobbled backwards in a drunken stupor, looking almost knocked out. Blood was pouring down his lip, where the second knee split the skin.
With a devious grin, Chris phase-shifted forward and tried a THIRD flying knee...
...But Saisyu slapped his knee downwards, and Chris's feet touched the ground again, unsteady. He wobbled; Saisyu stepped over him, and delivered a stiff chop to the back of the neck. A second chop went to the spine, and Chris's body froze solid... Saisyu was able to easily control him after that. Grabbing him under the chin, and bending his body backwards... he raised his forearm and came down on Chris's stomach, like splitting a wooden board.
"Aghhh...!" Chris yelped, as he hit the floor once more... and he looked hard-pressed to get back up.
"Huff... huff... harrgh..." Saisyu puffed with labored breaths, staggering backwards, his head still spinning from the hard shots he took from the boy. He tasted his blood... several spits, but still the copper taste coated his tongue. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this pace.
"FINISH HIM SAISYU! DON'T STOP!" Chizuru encouraged, close to leaping from the stands.
Saisyu glanced over; she was right. He had to make sure the kid didn't get back up. Chris didn't get tired...not like him.
Wiping his bloodied mouth, Saisyu approached the downed boy, preparing for the final blow...
FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Fire. Dark, sinister... searing, TORMENTING... Saisyu could feel it eating away at his flesh, even from several feet away, and he threw his arms up in recoil.
Where Chris's body once resided, now stood a towering pillar of flame: the same purple as that of the cursed Yagami clan.
"No...!" Saisyu gritted his teeth. "Even with no body, he can...?!"
"SAISYU! GET BACK!" Chizuru screamed. She tried to rush the combat zone; Benimaru stopped her.
"No, Chiz! You'll get him disqualified. Then Chris wins for sure!" Benimaru scolded.
Even within the hellish flames, Saisyu could make out the silhouette... and piercing red eyes. The shadowy figure emerged forward, slowly coming into view... until Chris was standing before him, once more. His once-blue garb was now red, as well as his irises, which once bore a more natural pigment.
With a chilling chuckle, he lifted both palms: within them, sprouted towers of purple fire.
"Chris of the Flames of Destiny." the boy spoke in a distorted, inhuman tone. "Mankind will become ashes, and like a phoenix, the One True God will rise."
"That's it! THAT A BOY, CHRIS!" Yashiro screamed. "BURN HIM TO NOTHING! MAKE HIM A SMEAR ON THE GRASS!"
"Spawn of Hell..." Saisyu hissed through clenched teeth, as he summoned his own flames. "I'll send you back to-"
Chris chuckled, and extended his palm: a sphere of flame soared forth, pelting Saisyu in the stomach, like a dodgeball thrown at impossible speed... Saisyu went flying backwards, beyond the limits of the combat zone... all the way to the wall of the Stadium.
The explosion was huge, leaving a crater in the concrete foundation.
"SAISYUUUUUUUUU!" Chizuru squealed.
"God damn, the kid got roided up!" Robert grunted.
Chris completely disregarded the confines of the combat zone, walking across the grass, to where Saisyu was impacted against the wall. Be it the grass, the audience stands... even the city itself... there was no limits to this battle.
"BURN, SCUM!" Chris flung his hand a second time, sending another ball of flame against the affected area.
...But this time, the fire would be snuffed out. A bright amber forcefield manifested, as Saisyu countered with a defensive barrier that repelled Chris's own fire. He emerged from the wreckage... still standing.
"I'm not done yet!" Saisyu roared.
Two supernatural powers collided: the Stadium gave off a heat like a furnace, as their hands collided. Chris threw a flame-charged haymaker at Saisyu's face; Saisyu parried with a flaming strike of his own. Their legs flew at the same time, and as they connected.. an explosive combustion sent the two of them flying backwards.
As they both skidded on their knees, Chris and Saisyu both sent a low stream of fire sailing across the ground... the two elements clashed in the middle, exploding with a spewing mixture of purple and orange embers.
"Damn it's hot in here." Jenet fanned herself. "I might need to take off my clothes~"
"Me too!" Shen Woo admitted.
"You already wear your shirt fluttering open, you vain, sexy idiot." Benimaru snarked with an eyeroll.
"Shit, I'll strip if you all do." Malin confessed.
They were back in the middle, supercharged bodies roaring with flame. Saisyu brought his hand across Chris's face, smacking him sideways. He tried to follow up with another strike, but Chris caught the hand and drilled him with a body punch, then followed up with a sneakily agile move: leaping upwards, he used Saisyu as a stepping stone, planting a foot in the back of his head and not only kicking him... but using his head as a platform to create distance.
As they stood on opposite ends, Chris quickly spun around, with a battle cry; he swung his hands without mercy, sending two tongues of fire lashing out towards his dazed opponent.
Saisyu spun around just in time: he ignited his arms with Kusanagi fire, and swung at the approaching projectiles, snuffing the flames out with his own, before charging back at Chris, full speed.
He threw a strike; Chris was too fast. He smacked the punch away and blasted his chin with a backfist, then threw a fluid kick to the stomach, before curving that same leg upwards and crashing across his jaw. If one did an instant replay... they could see a stream of blood flying from Saisyu's lips.
The elder Kusanagi fell on his hands and knees, labored breaths in his lungs... he was more tired than he'd been in a long time. If he were 20, no... just 10 years younger... maybe he could match this pace...
"Your body betrays you." Chris grinned. "You're a weak sack of flesh and bones. Destroying you here... will be a great victory for the Hakkeshu. Your son will join soon after!"
That sparked a fire in Saisyu's eyes. "Don't... make... threats... of... my...SON!"
He tried to rise up; Chris kicked him in the face, sending him right back down, but Saisyu scrambled and rolled to safety. Chris lashed at him with flaming punches... Saisyu activated his Kusanagi birthright, and their flames collided in the middle, cancelling each other out. He attempted a palm strike; Chris dodged it and grabbed him by the neck.
"Ghhk...?!"
"PERISH." Chris drew his free hand back, and the flames manifested at once focal point... a blast powerful enough to rival a grenade. He was going to lodge it into Saisyu's stomach.
"Hnnngkkk.. NO!" Saisyu snatched the capturing arm, and wrenched it free, bending it, manipulating Chris's body off-balance, as his strength surpassed the boy's.
Chris tried to go through with the attack; Saisyu caught his hand and redirected the blast... towards the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A purple explosion rocked the Stadium, covering all in yet another obscuring smokescreen... the Stadium grew deathly silent, as they awaited the smoke to clear, and reveal the fate of the combatants...
...The smoke cleared, and both Chris and Saisyu were on shaky feet, both having suffered the effects of Chris's explosive fire bomb.
Saisyu looked barely able to stand. Shaky feet, open mouth, deep, tired breaths... he could barely maintain his fighting stance. The flame aura surrounding his body was gone.
Chris was starting to look shaken up as well. Although he couldn't get physically tired... his stamina was linked to the amount of energy his ghastly body had to use to maintain form. He had used a LOT activating his Orochi form. Nonetheless, it was still active... but he couldn't maintain his own fire aura either.
"They're looking tired." Xiangfei mentioned. "This could be the end..."
The weary combatants pressed forward, at a more leisurely pace... Saisyu swung at Chris: parried. He went to the body: another parry, and Chris flung the caught punch aside, to return with his own strike. Saisyu ducked and sidestepped, attempting to come forward with a knifehand; Chris caught his fingers and pulled him in close, for a knee to the body.
Saisyu took it well, and launched a low calf kick; Chris checked it, and Saisyu went straight at his face with an open palm. Chris dodged it... but Saisyu drilled his body with a follow-up.
Chris gritted hard; Saisyu tried to come at him with another straight, and Chris backhanded him in the bicep, completely throwing his strike sideways. Taking advantage of the stumble, Chris stomped into his calf, hobbling him... a knee to his jaw dropped him on his elbows.
Saisyu crawled for dear life, to gain the distance he needed to get back up. He rose up, turning around... Chris was standing right in front of him, a devious smile, his purple flames in his palms once more. Damn... he was recharging.
"If you've got your flames, old man Kusanagi... I suggest you summon them now." Chris threatened. "Otherwise, this next attack will be your last."
Saisyu huffed, puffed... it took a moment of his hand against his chest, but he closed his eyes, sucking in hard air through his nostrils... exhaling through his lips... his eyes reopened, and he got back into combat stance.
"He's not summoning his flames...!" Benimaru gasped. "WIthout them, Chris will melt him!"
"Maybe he doesn't have enough energy left." Andy suggested.
Chizuru was sweating bullets. She saw Chris, glowing with purple... and Saisyu, with his naked fighting ability. She saw the end. She saw herself going out there, collecting his ashes between sobs, hoping her tears didn't fall into them and clump them.
...Did she do it now? Did she leap out there, intervene, save his life? But then SHE'D be out... and she wouldn't be able to eliminate them from the tournament.
"Saisyu..." she muttered, eyes beginning to glisten. "Please survive."
Back in the fight, Chris approached a stationary Saisyu, his flames fully manifested. Saisyu continued to maintain his fighting stance... but he failed to manifest his own Kusanagi fire.
"No flames, eh? Bummer." Chris taunted. "I guess age caught up with you, pops. Good thing the fate of the world wasn't in YOUR hands in 1997! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Chris finally lunged, unleashing his palm with a fiery attack to end Saisyu once and for all.
...Saisyu stood perfectly still, eyes darting low, to time Chris's footing... as soon as Chris put his lead leg forward, Saisyu glided his foot forwards, skimming the ground, and he clipped Chris's foot off-balance.
"Wh-wha...?!"
Chris found himself stumbling forward... his face landing into the waiting palm of Saisyu's hand.
Hot. Burning... he had no fluids to sweat, but he could feel his skin screaming in agony... he too screamed.
Saisyu, with all the fire in his body, let loose a roar so powerful, flames spouted from his mouth:
"DORRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A point-blank explosion, within Saisyu's grasp: a spontaneous combustion in Chris's face, blowing the kid backwards like he'd eaten a stick of dynamite. From the dazed look in his eyes... his mind was gone.
THUD. His limp body hit the floor, and he was unresponsive. Moments later... his body returned to original form, and he was regular Chris again.
WINNER: SAISYU KUSANAGI
Chizuru was out there before anyone could blink: LITERALLY. She phase-shifted, just as Saisyu was about to collapse, catching him in her arms.
"Oh my god Saisyu!" Chizuru buried her face against his neck, cradling him as tight as she'd once held his son. "You did it. You did it!"
Saisyu, despite his weak state... ever-managed that smug, white-baring smile of his. "Sorry I... never got any of your... postcards... hehehehehe..."
"You ridiculous man." Chizuru's eyes wettened with tears. "Let's get you to the hospital."
"No!" Saisyu called out, but winced after. "Urgh... no. We have to stay... and make sure... the others lose..."
"But you need medical attention!" she argued.
"I just need a breather... and maybe a soda, hehehe..." Saisyu chuckled, but broke out into a coughing fit. "Aghhh... please, Chizuru, we have to see this through to the end.
"Don't sweat it, old man." Benimaru suddenly barged in, snatching him away from Chizuru. "You're going in the back of a truck, like it or not. Your son happens to be my best friend, so if I let you croak here, I'll be an easy target. Let me and Chiz deal with the rest."
Chiz nodded. "He's right; I'll take care of the rest. And I'll come to visit you as soon as possible."
Saisyu darted back and forth, back and forth... clearly being outmatched, he finally gave a defeated sigh. "Fine... but I expect you to feed me some pudding later."
A cute giggle from the woman. "Very well then."
Medical personnel tried to approach Chris; a timely intervention from Yashiro scared them all off. "GET THE HELL BACK!"
Upon clearing the area, Yashiro went to his knees, scooping up Chris and resting him atop them. He used one hand to gently stroke the boy's face.
"Chris... cmon, wake up. Chris! CHRIS!"
It took a few seconds, but the boy's left eye started twitching: a sign of life. His mouth followed. His limbs began to briefly show signs of movement.
"That's it..." Yashiro soothed, continuing to caress the boy's face. "Cmon buddy... you're still with me..."
...All at once, the boy's eyes sprang open. "YAGAMI!"
Yashiro jumped slightly as Chris SPRANG upwards, torso facing north. "YAGAMI! Wh-where is that bastard Yagami! I'm gonna make him pay! He'll pay for stealing our... our...!"
"Chris! CHRIS!" Yashiro gently slapped the boy's cheek, turning his face to attention. "Look at me. Look at me!"
...Chris faced back forward, into Yashiro's eyes. The white-haired man gave a slight sigh of relief.
"Are you okay?"
Chris was slow to respond. Even then... his response did nothing to ease Yashiro's mind. Something was wrong.
"Wh-where am I? What... what's going on...?"
Yashiro put a hand on the boy's head, and softly stroked his hair. "We're at the tournament, remember? Chris...?"
Chris didn't seem to know what was going on; he just continued to look around, dazed and confused. "I... I don't...I need to lie down, Yashiro... I..."
Eyes grew heavy. His head began to dip. Moments later... Chris was unconscious.
Yashiro scooped him up, hoisting him on his shoulders. While he was very alarmed, assuring Chris's well-being was his top priority. The mental details could be worked out later... maybe they just needed to return naturally.
"Just rest, kiddo. Rest up. When you wake up, me and Shermie will be there. I promise."
In the aftermath of the fight, three Hakkeshu outcasts were beside themselves with amusement. One in particular, clad in black, with a slasher smile, made no attempt to stifle a hyena-like laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Well ladies, did the cards fall in place... or did the mother F***ING CARDS FALL. IN. PLACE?!"
Mature rolled her eyes. "Don't be so proud of yourself, like you actually affected any outcome here, Ryuji."
Vice predictably joined in. "Yeah, you didn't make that old Kusanagi bastard do any better. So shut the hell up."
Yamazaki was far too joyous to be affected by their insults. "Will you dumb cunts quit wasting your energy on me, and start jumping at the opportunity that's just been presented to us? CHRIS. F***ING. LOST. Haha! Chris was by far the most dangerous obstacle to us, and he f***ing lost! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"It is fortuitous, but it doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet." Vice argued. "We still have heroes to squash."
"Plus, that bitch Shermie is still in." Mature seconded.
Yamazaki scoffed. "Shermie can't win this whole thing on her own. Not with Kagura and the other goody goodies still in this. They'll deal with her just fine."
"And where does that leave us?" Vice asked, eyes narrowing.
Yamazaki stuck his tongue out. "That leaves us with hella odds. Once Shermie's done for, any chance they had of bringing back that fart-blowing f***head Goenitz will be squashed. The ball will be in OUR court then. Just think of it: the new Heavenly Kings eh? Heeheeheeheehee..."
Mature couldn't help but smirk. "Your delusions of grandeur are cute, Ryuji."
"Very cute." Vice echoed.
Yamazaki rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and get out there. Win. Survive. The major players have all had their turn, so whoever they match you up against should be no problem. Go have fun. But make sure you don't screw it up. We gotta have a strong standing with The Big O if we want to rule this world."
"Believe me, Ryuji..." Mature started.
"...We know how to multitask." Vice finished.
That was a doozy of a chapter. Took me a while to get it all out. Honestly, I'm not sure if this plot's going very smooth. To be brutally honest, it's a MESS. I've really dug myself into a hole, with all these different scheming factions trying to use the tournament to achieve their own ends. But they all want the same thing. But they DON'T want the same thing. I just... how the hell did I get myself in this mess?! xD the first Kumite was so simple!
NEXT CHAPTER: It's the grudge match you've been waiting months for: King finally gets her shot at the Bitch Twins, to avenge Yuri. I'm sure one reader in particular is chewing her fingernails to nubs ; )
Until next time!